THE SOGIE
EQUALITY BILL
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression, known as the SOGIE
BILL has been a controversial for how many years because numerous of individuals
who upholds power were and still oppose to the idea of it passing into law. Numerous of
organizations and advocates from the LGBTQ+ community were made just so their
voices can be heard and be given the rights that they deserve. I am one of those people
who support the LGBTQ+ community because unlike people who are homophobic and
think only of themselves, I’ve seen these LGBTQ+ individuals struggle over the years,
countless of times their rights have been violated just for being “different”. They are still
humans, they can still feel, what they feel is not something they can control it comes out
naturally from their heart. The SOGIE BILL should have not been made in the first place
if they only receive the proper treatment a human being should have.
According to (Deslate, 2016), the purpose of the SOGIE Equality BILL is to
provide the basic human rights the LGBTQ+ community deserve, it is an assurance that
they are protected from discrimination, accepted, and that their feelings are valid. This
undetermined law was meant to attain the rights that was ascribed in 1987 constitution,
there were other anti- discrimination bill have been filed but none of these bills were
specified unlike SOGIE. The late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Akbayan Rep.
Etta Rosales first filed the SOGIE Equality Bill in the 11 th congress which is now making
a recognition in the 17th congress with the help of Bataan 1 st District Representative
Geraldine Roman, Diwa Party List Representative Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, and Dinagat
Islands Representative Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao.
The implementation of equal rights officially started in the 1987 constitution,
equality has been an issue for how many years and back then it’s with women not
having equal rights as men have. In inclusion, the result of them fighting for their equal
rights caused both men and women to move forward alongside with each other
although there is still some discrimination from different establishments it’s not as harsh
as back then. What women felt back then is what the LGBTQ+ community are feeling
now, experiencing discrimination and oppression makes it like a punishment for them
for existing, when in reality they also just want to fight alongside them and build
solidarity that can make them move forward.
Insinuated by (Liban, 2020) and (Deslate, 2016), the bill ensures that being
denied to access public services, discrimination in workplaces, denial of admission in
education or expulsion based on their SOGIE, conversion therapies, and harassment
from the law enforcement like what they did in Pampanga wherein they forced the
LGBTQ people to dance in the heat and the transwomen’s hair were barbered in
Zamboanga City, outing them without their consent is one of the most cruel thing to do,
outing them means you stole it from them the opportunity to come out themselves.
These act of discriminatory under the SOGIE Equality Bill will be greatly penalized, and
any commission of these acts will be fined 100,000 to 500,000 pesos or a prison
sentence of 1 to 6 years.
The SOGIE Equality BILL is still being debated whether it will be enacted into law
because there are people in the congress who upholds power oppose to the idea and
protests from various Christian groups “argues that the bill actually perpetuates
and does not prevent discrimination, as it discriminates against those who do
not agree with the LGBTQ++ community” this statement proved that the
LGBTQ+ community is like a threat to their religion which is not. As stated by
(Yulo, 2020), “In line with the commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots, Pride has
been celebrated across the world through a protest for diversity, equality, and human
rights. It is an event dedicated to spreading love, inclusion, and acceptance towards the
LGBTQIA+ community” (Deslate, 2016).
In conclusion, the SOGIE Equality BILL is still pending in the congress and several of
organizations and advocates from the LGBTQ+ community are voicing out what they
deserve, and that they only want solidarity, people who spreads love and mean no
harm, freedom in public to show who they are. The LGBTQ+ community also wants
their supporters to not fight for them but fight with them, the SOGIE Equality BILL
promotes the true foundation of acceptance here in the Philippines but for now they are
tolerated but not accepted and I hope someday the next LGBTQ+ generation can live
their life without being afraid or feel threatened for being who they are.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Yulo, 2020)- https://thebenildean.org/2020/02/pantay-stands-firm-in-celebrating-pride-for-the-right-
reasons/
(Deslate, 2016)
- https://www.divinalaw.com/sogie-equality-bill/?fbclid=IwAR0Dc66pD4jWcRn1Vs2hD3BOA2CV-
FYMyNqELPwocdBlnyAmLUnnDAMTzyU
(Liban, 2020)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QFqX1tLmZs
